Rack assembly



Feb. 22, 1955 Filed March 26 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

F40 y0 A. CK

Feb. 22, 1955 F, R ECK 2,702,639

RACK ASSEMBLY Filed March 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

/YOVD R. 'CK BY United States Patent C RACK ASSEMBLY Floyd R-. Eck, Des Plaines, lll., assignor to Motor Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application March 26, 1951, Serial No. 217,453

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-14) This invention relates generally to refrigerator door structures, and refers more particularly to an improved shelf assembly for installation on a refrigerator door.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, compact shelf assembly which is pleasing in appearance and which readily lends itself for attachment to the inner panel of a refrigerator door. In some refrigerator constructions the inner door panel is embossed outwardly to form an inwardly opening recess in the inner side of the door, and it is another object of this invention to provide a shelf assembly capable of being attached to the embossed inner door panel in a manner such that a substantial part of the shelf assembly lies within the confines of the recess.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shelf having a base which extends laterally outwardly from the inner door panel and having an upwardly extending flange or rail at the outer edge of the base coacting with the inner door panel to provide a container open at the top.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a shelf of the above general type having a rack removably supported on the base at an elevation spaced above the base, but below the top edge of the rail, and of a size to enable removing the rack by simply lifting the rack through the space at the top of the shelf.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rack in the form of a flat sheet having openings therethrough for receiving articles such, for example as eggs, and having portions at the marginal edges of the openings engageable with the articles to retain the latter on -the rack.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide interchangeable racks independentlyrremovably supported on the shelf in end to en d relationship, and having handle members projecting above the top edge of the rail on the shelf.

It is another object of this invention to provide the handle members with means removably attached to the racks and extending downwardly from the racks for engagement with the base of the shelf to support the racks in vertical spaced relation -to the shelf.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view of the inner side of a refrigerator door having a shelf assembly of the type forming the subject matter of this invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a rack showing the adjacent handle part removed from the rack; and v Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Although the shelf assembly forming the subject matter of this invention may be used to advantage in con- Maice 2 nection with refrigerator doors of various different constructions, nevertheless, it is particularly suitable for installation on refrigerator doors of thetype having a recessed inner panel for receiving or partially receiving the shelf assembly, and accordingly, such a construction is shown herein for the purpose of illustration.

With the above in view reference is now 'made-Amore in detail to the drawings, wherein it will be noted that the numeral 1f) designates generally a refrigerator door comprising an outer panel '11, an inner panel 12 and suitable insulating material 13 supported between the two panels. As shown particularly in Figure 2 of the drawings, the marginal edges of the outer panel 11 are turned inwardly to form side walls 14 of the door, and the marginal edges of the inner panel 12 are supported on terminal flanges 15 formed on the `side walls 14. j In` the present instance, the inner panel 12 is formed of a heat insulating material, and the marginal edges are insulated from the flanges 15 by a resilient sealing strip 16, which extends around the perimeter of the door. This sealing strip also has a hollow head 17 coextensive with the strip, and positioned to engage an adjacent wall of the refrigerator cabinet not shown herein. Referring again to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the inner panel 12 is embossed in an outward direction to provide anrinwardly opening recess 18 at the inner side of the door 10.

The recess 18 is of sufllcient depth to partially receive a shelf assembly indicated generally in the drawings by the numeral 19. The shelf assembly comprises a shelf 2f), and a pair of racks 21. The shelf 20 may be formed of any suitable material; but in the interestsof economy, is preferably molded or otherwise formed from a plastic material. In any case the shelf has a base 22 formed with a depending flange 23 at the outer edge, and with an upstanding flange or wall 24 at the inner edge. As shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the top of the flange 24 is turned laterally outwardly to form a flange 25, and ribs 26 connect the flange 25 at longitudinally spaced points to the base 22 of the shelf. The ribs 26 are formed integral with the wall 24 and coact with the flange 25 to effectively reinforce the shelf. lt will also be noted that the base 22 is reinforced by ribs 27 spaced from each other along the length of the shelf and extending from the flange 23 to the inner edge of the base 22.

VUpon reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the shelf 20 extends into the recess 18 in the inner panel 12 of the door, and that opposite ends of the shelf curve outwardly toward the inner panel 12 of the door to impart a pleasing appearance to the assembly.

L 1 In this connection it will be noted that the opposite ends of the shelf 20 are secured to the inner door panel 12 at opposite sides of the recess 18 by fastener elements 28. When the shelf is installed on the door, the flange 23 assumes a position adjacent the inner side of the door panel 12, and suitable spacers 29 are formed integral with the flanges 23 at the outer sides thereof for seating engagement with the inner door panel 12. The shelf is additionally secured to the door panel 12 in the regions of the spacers 29 by suitable fastener elements 30.

As shown particularly in Figure 3 of the drawings, when the shelf 20 is assembled on the inner panel 12 of the door structure, the upstanding wall 24 at the inner edge of the shelf cooperates with the base 22 and the inner door panel 12 to form, in effect, a container 31 open at the top as indicated by the numeral 32. As will be presently described, the container 31 accommodates the racks 21, and the inner wall 24 acts as a rail to retain the racks 21 in position. These racks, however, are of a size to enable removing the same simply by lifting the racks through the opening 32.

The racks 21 are supported on the base 22 in end to end relationship, and are interchangeable. These racks may be formed of any suitable material, but are preferably in the form of sheet metal stampings or plates 33, having depending marginal flanges 34.

The plates 33 are supported in vertical spaced relationship to the base 22 at an elevation slightly below the top of the rail or wall 24 by inverted generally U-shaped members 35. In the present instance a pair of members 35 is respectively attached to opposite ends 'of' each plate 33, as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings. More particularly it will be noted that the top portions 36 of the members 35 project upwardly from the plates 33 above the top edge of the wall or rail 24, where they may be conveniently grasped by the user to lift the racks 21 off of the shelf through the opening 32. Thus the portions 36 of the members 35 at the lower ends to form upwardly extending fingers 38. The fingers 38 are respectively connected to the leg portions 37 by curved or arcuate sections 39, which rest on the base 22 of the shelf 20. The fingers 38 are inclined toward the respective leg portions 37 and cooperate with -the latter to form clips for frictionally engaging the adjacent portions of the flanges 34 on the plates 33. The upper ends of the fingers 38 are curved laterally inwardly to form seats 40 for engagement with the undersides of the plates 33. Thus the inverted U-shaped members 35 not only serve as handles for the racks, but also have portions 39 which function to removably support the racks on the base 22 of the shelf 20.

It will also be noted that since the members 35 are frictionally held in assembled relationship with the plates 33 by the ngers 38, the members 35 may be readily removed from the plates. In order to retain the members 35 in proper relationship on the plates, the flanges 34 may be fashioned to form vertical recesses 41 for receiving adjacent leg portions 37 of the inverted U-shaped members 35. If desired the upper extremities of the members 35 may be bent laterally to facilitate grasping of the same by the user when it is desired to remove the racks from the shelf 20.

Although the racks 21 may be employed to support any one of a number of different articles on the shelf 20, nevertheless, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown the racks as designed to retain eggs in place on the shelf 20. In this connection it will be noted that the plate 33 of each rack is fashioned with a plurality of circular openings 42 of sufficient diameter to partially receive articles such as eggs. The metal surrounding each opening 42 is turned downwardly to form a marginal flange 43, and this flange engages the outer side of an egg or similar article below the point of maximum diameter of the articles to support the latter in an upright position. The arrangement is such that the eggs or other articles are carried by the racks independently of the shelf, and are rmly held on the racks in lateral spaced relationship, so that accidental disengagement of the articles from the racks either during manipulation of the racks or during operation of the refrigerator door is reduced to a minimum.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An egg carrying rack comprising a horizontally extending plate having provision for supporting eggs in laterally spaced relationship and having flanges respectively depending from opposite edges of the plate, means for supporting the plate in an elevated position including a pair of wire legs removably connected to each of said flanges in lateral spaced relationship, the legs of each pair having upright portions extending across the outer surfaces of the flanges in engagement with the latter and having the upper ends of said portions integrally connected to provide a handle, said upright portions having the lower ends return-bent in an inward direction to provide support engaging feet, and the upper ends of the return-bent parts engageable with the underside of the plate to support the latter in the elevated position aforesaid.

2. The egg carrying rack defined in claim 1 wherein the upper ends of the return-bent portions also engage the inner surfaces of the flanges in opposed relationship to the upright portions and cooperate with the latter to frictionally grip the flanges on said plate.

3. The egg carrying rack defined in claim 2 wherein the flanges on the plate are recessed to respectively re-A ceive the upright portions and thereby locate said legs in predetermined relationship with respect to the plate.

4. An egg carrying rack comprising a horizontally extending plate having provision for supporting eggs in laterally spaced relationship and having flanges respectively depending from opposite edges of the plate, means for supporting the plate in an elevated position including a pair of wire legs removably connected to each of said flanges in lateral spaced relationship, the legs of each pair having upright portions extending across the outer surfaces of the flanges in engagement with the latter and having the upper ends of said portions integrally connected to provide a handle, said upright portions having the lower ends curved inwardly to provide support engaging feet and then extended upwardly and outwardly into engagement with the inner surfaces of the flanges to cooperate with the adjacent parts of the upright portions to frictionally grip the flanges on said plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,705 Obermann Oct. 4, 1898 620,044 Marks Feb. 21, 1899 782,895 Breding Feb. 21, 1905 1,063,826 Moyer June 3, 1913 1,250,888 Johnson Dec. 18, 1917 1,346,283 Vierling et al. July 13, 1920 1,485,438 Spoeneman et al. Mar. 4, 1924 1,548,242 Anderson Aug. 4, 1925 1,600,055 Meyer Sept. 14, 1926 1,997,220 Killgore Apr. 9, 1935 2,405,009 Beveridge et al July 30, 1946 2,434,117 Money et al. Jan. 6, 1948 2,453,387 Rundell Nov. 9, 1948 2,540,068 Williamson Jan. 30, 1951 2,562,056 Norberg et al. July 24, 1951 2,612,401

Simmonds Sept. 30, 1952 

